1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium drive system (disk drive system) capable of recording and reproduction of signals on a (disk-formed) recording medium such as an optical disk and an electronic apparatus incorporating the recording medium drive system (disk drive system). More particularly, the invention relates to a recording medium drive system (disk drive system), and an electronic apparatus using the same, of the so-called slot-in type in which a (disk-formed) recording medium can be inserted and discharged directly through a slot.
2. Description of the Related Art
As recording media, there have been known optical disks such as CD (Compact Disk), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), Blu-ray disk, etc., magneto-optical disks such as MD (Mini Disc), MO (Magneto-Optical disk), etc., magnetic disks such as FD (Floppy (registered trademark) Disc), etc., memory cards incorporating a semiconductor memory, and so on, and various drive systems corresponding to these recording media have been provided.
Among these, disk drive systems for driving optical disks include a type in which a lid or door provided at a casing is opened and a disk is mounted directly onto a turntable exposed through the opened lid or door, a type (so-called clamshell type) in which a disk is mounted on a disk tray conveyed horizontally over the ranges of the inside and the outside of a system body, whereby the disk is automatically mounted on a turntable when the disk tray is drawn into the system body, and a type (so-called tray type) in which a turntable is provided as one body with the disk tray and the disk is mounted directly on the turntable when the disk tray is conveyed to the outside of the system body. However, every one of these types needs the operator to perform such an operation as opening and closing the lid or door, feeding in and out the disk tray, mounting the disk on the turntable, etc.
On the other hand, there is the so-called slot-in type disk drive system in which when a disk is simply inserted through a slot provided in the front face of a casing, the disk is automatically drawn into the inside of a system body and mounted on a turntable. In this disk drive system, when the disk is inserted through the slot, a pair of opposed guide rollers are rotated in opposite directions while clamping the disk between the guide rollers, whereby a loading operation of drawing the disk inserted through the slot into the inside of the casing and an ejecting operation of discharging the disk to the outside of the casing through the slot are carried out.
As such a slot-in type disk drive system, there has been the one that is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-56994 (FIG. 1, etc.) (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).
Meanwhile, in recent years, attendant on the increase in recording density in optical disk drive systems such as the development of the Blu-ray disk and drive systems therefore, the influence of dust on an optical system has been increasing and, therefore, there has been an increasing need for enhancement of dust-proofness of the optical disk drive systems.
In relation to the slot-in type disk drive system mentioned above, examples of technology known for enhancing the dust-proofness include a technology in which a flexible dust-proofing member made of artificial leather and having a slit through which a disk can be inserted is provided at a disk guide part provided on the rear of and as one body with a slot (refer to, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 7-49676 (FIG. 3, etc.)). Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 7-49676 is hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2.
In addition, there is known a technology in which, instead of providing the just-mentioned slit, two flexible plates are provided on the upper and lower sides on the inside of a slot so as to shut the slot and so that end parts of the two flexible plates overlap with each other, whereby sealing performance is enhanced (refer to, for example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2590967 (paragraph [0035], FIG. 8, etc.)). Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2590967 is hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 3.
Furthermore, there is known a technology in which sheet-formed elastic members made of rubber or the like are adhered to both sides of a turning-side tip part of a shutter leaf provided turnably so as to close a slot, and the tip part is formed as an overhang part with the elastic members adhered thereto, whereby the gap between the tip part and the slot wall is closed and the dust-proofness is enhanced (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3670716 (paragraph [0008], FIG. 3, etc.)). Japanese Patent No. 3670716 is hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 4.
In addition, in the slot-in type disk drive system, in the case of conveying the disk inserted through the slot, a technique has been used in which the disk is conveyed in the inserting and discharging directions by clamping the recording surface and the opposite surface of the disk by a pair of rollers (hereinafter referred to as horizontal rollers) which can be driven in the forward and reverse directions about horizontal axes.
However, in the case of the horizontal rollers, if foreign matter such as sandy particulates or hard dust is adhered to the recording surface of the disk at the time of clamping the disk between the rollers, the recording surface may possibly be marred.
In recent years, high-density optical disks such as recordable DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) and Blu-ray disk have been developed, and in the cases of such high-density optical disks, the marring of the recording surface may be a heavier problem.
As a technology for solving the problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-190645 (FIG. 4, etc., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-190645 is hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 5) discloses a disk drive system having a pair of turning arms capable of conveying a disk while clamping an outer peripheral part of the disk, inserted through the slot, from both side surface sides.
In addition, there has also been a disk drive system in which rollers turnable about vertical axes instead of horizontal axes (hereinafter referred to as vertical rollers) are provided on the outside of the outermost diameter of the disk and the disk can be conveyed by the vertical rollers.